Carbohydrates• One of the three macro-nutrients• The main nutrient in grain products• Provides much of the fuel that keeps the body

going

Carbohydrates

• The body’s most preferred source of energy– 4 calories/gram

• Largest volume of our daily diet (60% on average)– CDC recommends 45%-65% of our calories be carbs

• Form of food• Form of sugar

Carbohydrates Role

• Turned into Glucose (sugar) in the body

• Glucose is the energy supply for the body’s automatic activity and for the performance of our daily tasks

Carbohydrates Role

• Important to metabolism– Complex carbs will increase metabolism

• Any unused Carbohydrates/Glucose is stored as fat

Carbohydrates = Sugar= Energy

• Glucose is freed in the small intestines– Hydrolysis= splitting of a compound into smaller

parts by the addition of water– Carbohydrates are broken down until they yield

the sugars from which they are formed

Grains –Our Main source of Carbohydrates

• Parts of Grain: Bran, Endosperm, Germ

The Three most common in US

• Wheat• Corn• Rice (Wild Rice is not really rice, but merely a grass seed)

• Other Common grains:– Oats– Rye– Barley

Whole Grain

Grains that contain germ, endosperm, and bran• Wheat• Oat• Barley• Maize• Brown Rice• Farro• Spelt

• Einkorn• Kamut• Rye• Millet• Quinoa• Amaranth• Triticale• Teff• Emmer• Buckwheat

Refined Grain

• Removal of Bran and Germ• May involve bleaching• Many nutrients are lost

Enriched Grains

• Nutrients lost in Refining are put back– Represent a fraction of nutrients removed– Inferior to whole grains

Fortified Grains

• Replaces same nutrients as enriched foods• Also adds more nutrients that were not

naturally there– Calcium in OJ– Iodine in table salt– Vitamin D in Milk

Food Labels & Grains

• Wheat protein– Gluten

• Grain proteins – Incomplete proteins

Surprising Food Sources of Carbohydrates• Plant based foods• Dairy products– Lactose (milk sugar)

Simple Carbohydrates

• SUGARS= Glucose– Basic source of energy– Quick energy– Found in Fruits

• Sucrose – table sugar• Fructose – fruit sugar• Glucose – blood, grape, corn sugar• Maltose – malt or grain sugar• Lactose – milk sugar

Sources of Simple Carbohydrates

• Sugar• Fruit• Fruit juice• Table sugar• Honey• Soft drinks• sweets

Simple Carbohydrates

• Simple carbohydrates – quick energy sources– But usually no other nutrients or fiber

Complex Carbohydrates

• Supply energy – other nutrients and fiber that the body needs– The better choice.

Complex Carbohydrates

• Cellulose– Major component of plant cell walls

• Starch (amylose)– Plants

• Glycogen– Stored form of glucose in body, animal starch

Complex Carbohydrates

• Starch: Supplies the body with long, sustained energy

• All starchy foods are plant foods– Seeds 70% starch– Bean and Pea family 40% starch– Tubers

Sources of Complex Carbohydrates

Starch• Bread• Cereal• Potatoes• Pasta• Rice• legumes

Fiber• Bran• Whole-grain• Raw vegetables• Fruit

Dietary Fiber

• Found in plant cells• Tough and stringy• Does not break down completely• The Non-digestible part of plants

Why Fiber?

• Keeps food moving efficiently through the body:– preventing constipation & hemorrhoids

• Decrease chances of heart disease by lowering cholesterol

Why Fiber?

• Helps to control blood sugar levels – Important for diabetics

• High fiber eating is lower in calories, makes you feel fuller faster = weight control

How much Fiber do we need?

• 25 grams per day for women• 38 grams per day for men

High Fiber Foods

• Beans• Whole grains• Brown rice• Popcorn• Nuts• Baked potato with skin

• Berries• Bran cereal• Oatmeal• vegetables

Choosing the Best Bread

• Look for:– Short ingredient list– At least 3g fiber– The word “whole” in the

ingredients

• Be wary of – Wheat flour: (25% wheat

75% white flour)– Enriched flour– Sugar grams

Breads in Categories

• “Best Breads”– 100% whole wheat 1st ingredient– No enriched flour

• “Better Breads”– List whole wheat as 1st ingredient– May have enriched flour in the ingredients

• “No No Breads”– Bleached, enriched flour 1st ingredient

Unbolted???• Unbolted: means that the bran has not been

removed– Higher fiber

• Bolted: means that the bran has been removed

Flour & Grain unveiled• Buckwheat (Soba) Flour: does not contain

wheat or gluten• Oat Flour: makes for a moister whole-grain

bread• Rye Flour: high protein and fiber, should say

“unbolted”• Cornmeal: white or yellow, may be “bolted” or

“unbolted”

Flour unveiled• Soy Flour: ground soybean, high in protein• Arrowroot Flour: starch, root of a plant, easy

to digest, main ingredient in many infant and toddler snacks

• Rice: more starch than gluten• Spelt: cereal grain, more nutritious than wheat• Corn (maze): pasty• Kamut: type of wheat, high protein

Cereals

• Ceres– Roman Goddess of

Agriculture– How we get the word:

Cereal

Choosing the Best CerealNutrients you want in your cereal: fiber, protein, folic acid, zinc,

iron, B-Vitamins

• Don’t:– Choose based off of TV– Ignore the front of the

box– Get caught up in Vit C

and calcium advertisements

– Sugar should not be near the top of the ingredient list

• Do:– Read the ingredient list– Look for “whole” as the

1st ingredient

• Avoid:– Hydrogenated oils– Dyes or artificial colors– Chemical preservatives

Ideal Cereal

• 1st ingredient should be “whole”…• Contain at least 3 g fiber per serving• Carbohydrate-to-sugar ratio should be no less

than four to one (means most carbs are complex not simple)– Best would be 7 to 1

Ideal Cereal

• Five and Five rule– Less than 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of

fiber• Iron, Zinc & other vitamins and minerals

should be 25-40% of recommended daily allowance

• Focus on the quality of the grain verses the vitamin list

Choosing the Best Cracker

• Look for: – Fiber– Minerals– Vitamins– Be aware of the serving

size

• Aim for:– At least 3 grams fiber– No more than 3g fat– No more than 1 g

saturate fat

Carbohydrate Review

• Largest volume of our daily diet 45% - 65% of your calories)

• Example 60% Carb Intake– 2000 calorie a day diet– 2000 X 0.60 = 1200 calories from Carbohydrates

per day

How to calculate grams of Carbs you need daily

• Carbohydrates provide the following amount of energy– 4 cal/g

• Determine how many g of carbohydrates you need first– 1200 cal divided by 4 cal = 300g

Calculating Carb calories in your foods

• Example– 20g Total Carbohydrate– 20g multiplied by 4 cal = 80 calories from

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate Tips

• Short ingredient list• At least 3 g fiber• The word “whole” • Unbolted• Carbohydrate-to-sugar ratio should be no less

than four to one • No more than 1 g saturated fat

Blood Glucose Levels

• Digestion:– Pancreas: Monitors the flow of glucose to the cells

by secreting insulin• Hormone: Insulin is a hormone and is a

chemical messenger that affects a specific organ or tissue and brings forth a specific response

Blood Glucose Levels

• Insulin: keeps glucose in the blood at a normal level– Too much glucose and insulin tells the liver and

muscles to store it as glycogen– Too little glucose and the liver and muscles release

the glycogen back into the blood

Diabetes

• The body cannot regulate Blood Glucose levels

• Type 1: Pancreas secretes little or no insulin

• Type 2: Pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body does not use the insulin effectively

Diabetes

• Type 1 & 2: both cause Hyperglycemia– Little glucose reaches the cells, the kidneys and

heart become strained trying to filter out the glucose

– Cells are not getting the energy that they need

Diabetes

• Type 1:• Body thinks it starting and responds by breaking down

proteins and fats

– Type 2: • Cells get just enough glucose, but, trying to feed the

glucose-hungry cells people will overeat, leading to obesity….

Treatment

• Type 1: Daily insulin injections, exercise, and a careful diet

• Type 2: Diet and Exercise, sometimes medications

Diet & Exercise

• ½ will control the disease with just diet & exercise– Diets are individualized, but similar to any

healthful eating plan– Limit fat, sodium, protein, simple carbs– Increase complex carbs especially the starchy ones– Eating regularly to maintain a steady blood

glucose level

Diabetes without Treatment

• Stroke• Heart Attack• Kidney Damage/Failure• Impotence• Numb extremities (Neuropathy)• Loss of limbs• Loss of eye sight • Infertility• Prolonged healing• High Blood Pressure

Statistics

• $218 Billion to treat diabetes in the US yearly• 60% of amputation are in diabetics• 202,290 diabetics with end stage kidney disease• 4.2 million people with diabetes are losing their

vision• 68% of diabetic deaths are linked to heart disease• 25.8 million Americans are diagnosed• 79 million have been diagnosed Prediabetic• 1.9 million new cases a year

Hypoglycemia

• Abnormally low level of blood glucose– Dizzy, weak, nauseated – Corrected with a prescribed diet and eating

schedule